Commercial motor vehicles and heavy equipment require electric energy from one or more batteries to start the engine and operate. Unlike batteries used in private passenger automobiles, the batteries used to start and operate heavy equipment and commercial motor vehicles are located and housed outside of the engine compartment where they are usually covered by a fixed part of the motor vehicle or protected by a removable cover or enclosure that is securely latched or fastened to prevent shifting during use.1 To prevent the batteries from shifting, (and/or to meet regulations, rules, guidelines and/or laws), the batteries are often secured in place by a hold-down bolt or bolts, a hold-down nut or nuts, and a hold-down bracket or brackets. The batteries for commercial motor vehicles and heavy equipment are relatively expensive, often costing between $150.00 and $600.00 each, and often requiring multiple batteries to operate a single vehicle or equipment. Since the batteries are located outside of the engine compartment, are relatively easy to access, and are relatively valuable, they are often a target for thieves. Theft of batteries from commercial motor vehicles and heavy equipment has become an increasing problem with both direct costs (i.e., replacement cost) and indirect costs (i.e., decreased efficiency and productivity of employees, vehicles, and/or equipment, potential losses of bonuses and/or imposition of penalties, potential loss of goodwill and/or future work/jobs). In sum, theft of commercial motor vehicle and heavy equipment batteries is a problem that negatively affects productivity and profitability.2 This problem affects both private industry and government and the financial burden is often passed along to customers and taxpayers in the form of higher prices. It is a cost directly or indirectly felt by most everyone, albeit at different levels of severity. 1 §393.30 Battery installation. US Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations.2 Robert Berg. Jobsite Security on Commercial Construction Projects, Robert Berg (unpublished Master of Science theses, p. 11-12, University of Florida, 2003).